Migrate from HEY to JustEmails When You Need Real Custom-Domain Mailboxes

The Screener got me. I'll admit that.

First week with HEY for Domains, every new sender hit the Screener instead of my inbox. Cold outreach? Gone. Random newsletter I don't remember subscribing to? Blocked before I saw it. After years of Gmail's chaotic everything-lands-in-inbox approach, HEY felt like someone finally understood the problem.

Then my renewal came due. $12/month for one user. $144/year for custom domain email.

And the second role address I needed? Another $12/month. Support@ for client inquiries. That's $288/year for two mailboxes. A third for billing@? You see where this goes.

Here's the thing: HEY's workflow features are genuinely good. 37signals built something different. But HEY for Domains pricing assumes one person per mailbox. Real businesses don't work that way. At $12/user/month, every new address is a budget conversation.

JustEmails charges $49/year flat. Unlimited domains. Unlimited mailboxes. Standard IMAP. Create support@, billing@, press@, careers@, whatever — they're all free. No Screener. No inbox reinvention. Just email hosting that doesn't charge per address.

This is the migration guide for people who outgrew HEY's pricing. We built JustEmails for exactly this — part of Velocity Digital Labs. If you're comparing options, our email hosting cost comparison breaks down the math.

What You'll Have at the End

All your HEY email imported into JustEmails. Custom domain MX records pointing to our servers. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configured. Mailboxes working with any IMAP client — Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Outlook, whatever you prefer.

What you won't have: the Screener, Imbox/Feed/Paper Trail categories, Reply Later, or spy pixel blocking. Those don't exist outside HEY's apps. You're trading workflow innovation for standard protocols and flat-rate pricing.

I'll be honest — I miss the Screener sometimes. Cold emails now land in my inbox like everyone else's. But I don't miss the renewal math.

Prerequisites

• Access to your HEY account
• DNS access to your domain — Cloudflare, Namecheap, Route 53, wherever (see our DNS for email guide if you're new to this)
• A JustEmails account
• Thunderbird (or another client that imports MBOX files)
• If you're on HEY for You with a @hey.com address: accept that you're losing that address forever. Update critical services first.

That last point matters. @hey.com addresses belong to HEY. Cancel your subscription, the address stops working. Every login with email-based 2FA, every bank notification — update them before canceling.

Step 1: Request Your Data Export from HEY

HEY doesn't support IMAP, so you can't sync directly. Request a full export instead.

In HEY: Settings → Account & Billing → Request Your Data.

HEY generates an MBOX file. Takes a few hours — sometimes overnight for large mailboxes. The export includes all your email and attachments. It does NOT include Screener settings, Reply Later queue, or Imbox/Feed/Paper Trail categorization. That stuff is HEY-only.

Download the MBOX when it's ready. Keep it safe.

Step 2: Set Up JustEmails and Create Mailboxes

Log into JustEmails. Add your domain — verification is a TXT record:

Type: TXT
Name: @
Value: justemails-verify=xxxxxx

Propagates in 5-10 minutes. Once verified, create mailboxes for every address you used on HEY. Match them exactly. JustEmails includes unlimited mailboxes in the $49/year plan — no per-mailbox fees, ever.

Write down IMAP credentials for each. Don't touch MX records yet. (I made this mistake once. Changed MX before I had mailboxes ready. Mail bounced for an hour. Don't be me.)

Step 3: Lower DNS TTL

Your MX records have a TTL — probably 3600 seconds or higher. Lower it to 300 (5 minutes) now. Wait at least as long as your old TTL before the actual cutover.

Skipping this step is how you end up with mail going to HEY for days after cutover. I've been there. Trust the process.

While waiting, copy the JustEmails DNS values from your domain settings.

Step 4: The MX Cutover

Deep breath. This is the point of no return.

Your current MX records point to HEY's servers. Delete them. Add the single JustEmails MX record:

mail1.justemails.app (priority 10)

One host, one record — check the exact value in your JustEmails dashboard.

Inbound flips as soon as resolvers pick up the new record. Outbound opens up more slowly: the daily sending allowance is counted per account and measured from the day you verified the domain back in Step 2, so it sits at 20/day through the first week, 200/day in the second, and 500/day from day 15. For a few role addresses and ordinary correspondence you'll never notice it — but if your cutover plan includes mailing every client and vendor to announce the change, spread that list across a few days instead of firing it on day one.

Step 5: Configure SPF and DKIM

Your SPF record probably includes HEY. Find it and swap their mechanism for ours — note that JustEmails doesn't publish an include, so you authorise the sending host directly:

v=spf1 a:mail1.justemails.app ~all

For DKIM, add the JustEmails CNAME records:

je1._domainkey.yourdomain.com → je1.dkim.justemails.app
je2._domainkey.yourdomain.com → je2.dkim.justemails.app

Delete old HEY DKIM records. If you don't have DMARC, add:

_dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com"

Our DMARC guide covers enforcement later.

Step 6: Import Your MBOX Archive

Thunderbird handles this well:

1. Add your JustEmails account (IMAP settings from dashboard)
2. Install ImportExportTools NG add-on
3. Right-click Local Folders → ImportExportTools NG → Import mbox file
4. Select your HEY export

Once imported locally, drag messages to your JustEmails IMAP folders. This syncs them to the server — accessible from any device.

(Personally, I landed on Thunderbird after years of web-only email. The keyboard shortcuts took a week to feel natural. Now I can't imagine going back.)

Step 7: Recreate Aliases and Catch-All

In JustEmails domain settings, add aliases and specify target mailboxes. For catch-all, enable it in settings — every email to anything@yourdomain.com lands in the catch-all mailbox.

Step 8: Verify and Update Clients

Test with MXToolbox:

https://mxtoolbox.com/SuperTool.aspx?action=mx:yourdomain.com

Send test emails both directions. If outbound hits spam, check SPF/DKIM alignment. Our deliverability guide covers debugging.

Update all devices with new settings:

IMAP: mail.justemails.app, port 993, SSL/TLS SMTP: mail.justemails.app, port 587, STARTTLS Username: full email address

Common Errors and Fixes

HEY export takes forever — Normal. Large mailboxes take 12-24 hours. Contact HEY support if over 48 hours.

"Authentication failed" — JustEmails mailbox passwords are per-mailbox. Make sure you're using the mailbox password, not your account password.

Mail still going to HEY — DNS propagation. Some servers cache longer. Keep HEY active and check periodically. Resolves within 48-72 hours.

DKIM fails validation — Wait 15-60 minutes for CNAME propagation. Check the underscore: je1._domainkey, not je1.domainkey.

Folders are messy after import — HEY doesn't use standard folders. Reorganize manually after import. Annoying? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.

The Honest Tradeoff

You're giving up workflow features that don't exist elsewhere. The Screener is HEY's killer feature — nothing replicates it. Imbox/Feed/Paper Trail splitting? Gone. Spy pixel blocking? Some clients have partial solutions (Apple Mail's privacy protection), but not as thorough.

So why migrate from HEY to JustEmails? Because $49/year flat beats $144-288/year for one or two users. Because unlimited mailboxes means role addresses don't cost extra. Because standard IMAP means you're not locked into one company's apps.

Look — HEY built something genuinely different. I respect that. But different isn't always better for everyone, and "innovative email experience" doesn't pay my bills. Predictable pricing does.

For the full comparison, see our JustEmails vs HEY breakdown. Different products, different tradeoffs.

If you're a solo user who loves the Screener and doesn't mind $99/year for a @hey.com address? Stay on HEY for You. Genuinely. If you need custom domains, multiple mailboxes, or got tired of per-user pricing? Welcome.

Keep HEY Active Briefly

Don't cancel immediately. Some slow servers might still deliver there during propagation. Keep HEY active for a week, check periodically. Once no new mail arrives, cancel.

If you're on HEY for You, remember: that @hey.com address dies when you cancel. Update everything first.

Questions? support@justemails.app. For privacy-first analytics on your new blog or landing pages, JustAnalytics runs without cookies. Managing ad spend during migration? ClickzProtect catches click fraud before it drains your budget. Need a secure browser for managing multiple email accounts? JustBrowser isolates sessions cleanly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export my email from HEY before migrating?

Yes. HEY provides a data export in Settings → Account & Billing → Request Your Data. You'll get an MBOX file after a few hours. The export includes all your mail but not your Screener settings, Reply Later queue, or the Imbox/Feed/Paper Trail categorization — those are HEY-specific workflows that don't translate to standard email. Export before you cancel, and give yourself a day for the file to generate.

Will I lose the Screener and other HEY features after migrating?

Yes, completely. The Screener, Imbox/Feed/Paper Trail sorting, Reply Later, Focus mode, and spy pixel blocking are HEY-only features built into their apps. Standard IMAP email doesn't have these concepts. You can approximate some with filters and rules in your email client, but they won't work the same way. If the Screener is the main reason you use HEY, think hard about whether you're willing to give it up.

What happens to my @hey.com address after I cancel?

You lose it. The @hey.com address belongs to HEY, not you. Any service, newsletter, or contact using that address will stop reaching you. Before canceling, update your important accounts to your new custom domain address — bank, logins with 2FA tied to email, anything critical. HEY for Domains users keep their custom domain since they own it, but still need to migrate hosting to another provider.

How long does migrating from HEY to JustEmails take?

About 3-4 days total, maybe 2-3 hours of hands-on work. Day 1: request export, set up JustEmails account and mailboxes. Day 2: lower DNS TTL. Day 3: MX cutover, import MBOX, configure SPF/DKIM. Day 4: verify delivery, update email clients. Most of the time is waiting — DNS propagation and HEY generating your export file.

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Try JustEmails

Unlimited custom domain email hosting for $49/year flat — unlimited domains, unlimited mailboxes, 10 GB storage (expandable), full IMAP/SMTP. Built for agencies, freelancers, and anyone managing email across more than one domain.

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